Kaminski felt Luton showed Villa far too much 'respect' during 'very bad' first half

Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski felt his side showed visitors Aston Villa far too much respect during what he described as a ‘very bad’ first half of their 3-2 defeat at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

The Hatters went into the game against the top four challengers looking to end a run of four straight defeats in all competitions, and gain more ground on fellow relegation rivals Everton and Nottingham Forest, who had both lost in the earlier kick-offs. However, an injury to defender Amari’i Bell inside the opening five minutes saw Luton forced to make a change, with Chiedozie Ogbene on, Alfie Doughty moving to the left-sided centre half role. The change didn’t have the effect boss Rob Edwards would have wanted, as Town struggled to really impose themselves on Unai Emery’s visitors who took a two goal lead through England striker Ollie Watkins.

It could have been more than that too, Kaminski making wonderful saves from Jacob Ramsey and Watkins with his pick of the bunch, fingertipping Morgan Rogers’ arching drive that was destined for the net over the bar. Speaking afterwards, Kaminski said: “It was a very bad first half I think. We were not really aggressive in the first half, we were a little bit on the back foot and maybe we showed Villa a little bit too much respect. For me it was good, but I'd rather make zero saves and get the three points.”

Once the interval had come and gone, Luton looked a different side for the second 45 minutes, playing the kind of attacking football that has won them so many fans this year. It saw them get back into the game thanks to two Doughty set-pieces that were finished off by Tahith Chong and Carlton Morris, but just as thoughts turned towards another vital point, or maybe even a famous late winner, Kaminski was beaten for a third time, Lucas Digne getting the better of Issa Kabore at the back post to head home Moussa Diaby’s pinpoint cross.

Summing up the performance after the break, Kaminski continued: “The manager said, if you come out aggressive and on the front foot, win a couple of duels, the fans will be behind us again and that's what happened, as you can see what happens when the fans are there. He was very direct in his message and I think we all understood and that’s why we came out so aggressively, took the game a little bit in our hands, but we can’t give these goals away.

“We came back very well, we did the right things, we were aggressive, we were on the front foot, but unfortunately they get that last goal. We are doing the right things, especially at home, also against a good side, but it’s disappointing as we've got no points.”

Luton now have 12 matches in which to save their top flight status, as they face a vital seven days in their bid to stay up, travelling to Crystal Palace at the weekend and Bournemouth in midweek, before hosting Forest a week on Saturday. Kaminski added: “Every game will be very important, every game is a cup final now, every game is a matter of life and death.”